News Release

Thursday, February 7, 2002

Carjacking Suspect Flees and Dies in Car Crash

Los Angeles: On Monday, February 4, 2002, at approximately 8:35 p.m., four armed male Black suspects carjacked a 43 year-old female on the 10200 block of Woodbine Street in Pacific Division. The four suspects robbed the victim of her vehicle and cash, then fled the location in the victim's blue 1997 Nissan Altima. The Nissan Altima's license plate numbers were subsequently entered into police computer files.

On Thursday, February 07, 2002, at approximately 7:10 a.m., Southwest Area Community Police Station police officers on routine patrol in the area of Vermont Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard, ran the license plate of the stolen Nissan Altima and learned that the car had been used in a violent crime. Officers began following the car and summoned back-up patrol and air units to assist in stopping the driver of the car. Realizing he was being followed, the driver of the Altima sped away, westbound 52nd Street from Vermont Avenue. While in the 1400 block of 52nd Street, he apparently lost control of the vehicle and careened into another parked car. Both the Altima and the parked car went airborne in a westerly direction, both landing in the front yard of a residence on 52nd Street.

The officers approached the suspect and extracted his lifeless body from the vehicle. Los Angeles City Fire Department paramedics responded immediately and pronounced the suspect dead at the scene.

The suspect is described as a male Black (in his mid-20's), 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighing approximately 150-160 lbs. The suspect has not yet been identified by the Coroner. The suspect matches the description of one of the four suspects sought in the February 4, 2002, carjacking in Pacific Area.

South Traffic Division detectives are conducting the investigation. Anyone with information that may assist in this investigation is urged to contact the detectives at 213-485-6571 during business hours. On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at the Detective Information Desk at 1-877-LAWFULL (1-877-529-3855).